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100 million transistors on the head of a pin

HSB TechAdvantage™ is a new concept in equipment insurance

With circuitry thousands of times smaller than a human hair, the damage that causes microelectronics to stop working is often too tiny to see. In response, Hartford Steam Boiler is expanding its coverage to stay ahead of today's equipment failures.

Coverage beyond the requirements of physical damage

We've introduced HSB TechAdvantage™, the next step in the evolution of equipment breakdown and technology insurance. It extends our coverage beyond the requirements of physical damage to failures caused by accidents that can't be easily traced.

It's the first insurance coverage of its kind

"HSB is the first equipment breakdown insurer to cover losses from unobservable damage or failures of firmware and software, in addition to physical damage that can be identified," said Marc Saulsbury, HSB vice president. "As more equipment breakdowns involve micro-circuitry, we've decided it's time to take a different approach."

The brains behind today's businesses

Think of all the equipment that contains tiny micro-circuitry. Heating and cooling, production machinery, retail systems and medical equipment are a few examples. If it uses electricity, it probably contains transistors and microprocessors, and they're getting smaller every day.

How small is small?

Intel Corporation says 100 million of its 22-nanometer transistors will fit on the head of a pin. Its factories produce five billion transistors every second. That's hard to imagine, so look at it this way: if a typical house shrunk as transistors have, you would not be able to see the house without using a microscope.

Losses aren't what they used to be

Today's equipment may stop working for no apparent reason. The damage may be too small to see, or embedded software instructions called firmware may be corrupted. Micro technology also makes equipment more portable and fragile, while the Internet and cloud computing can cause downtime losses when broadband and cloud outages cripple operations.

The future seems like science fiction

It's difficult to predict when the next leap will come in new technologies. Scientists believe they will someday make transistors at the atomic level and they're working with exotic new materials that are not only more efficient, but harder than diamonds and stronger than steel.

HSB stays ahead of emerging technologies

HSB TechAdvantage™ equipment breakdown and technology coverage is designed to pay to replace failed electronic equipment, even when physical damage is not evident. It can restore data, replace lost income and cover other related expenses. Enhanced coverage for cloud service interruptions and portable equipment is also included.

Watch this video to learn more about it

Our new coverage will be available in 2015 (pending state approvals). Watch our video to learn more about microelectronics risks and the coverage provided by HSB TechAdvantage™. Or contact your HSB representative for more information.